title: Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor mimicking carotid body tumor--case report and review.
abstract: Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor is a rare neurogenic tumor that usually presents in geriatic patients. Typically, it is found in the trunk and extremities and rarely presents in the head and neck region. It may mimic a carotid body tumor when it presents in the neck. We report the first case of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor of the vagus nerve in an adolescent boy. He presented with an asymptomatic lateral neck lump that was thought to be a benign schwannoma on preoperative imaging. We describe the diagnostic dilemma and management difficulties in this patient and review the literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Surgery, Kandang Kerbau Women and Children's Hospital, Singapore. ruimin_lee@yahoo.com.sg
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Jacobsen
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Hwang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002345:Carotid Body Tumor / Q000175:diagnosis*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D018317:Nerve Sheath Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012074:Remission Induction; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery